Clouds are a familiar part of our human environment. Clouds affect our daily plans, and even children pay attention to them from a young age because of the many shapes they can take. Clouds are a key factor influencing local weather as well as the Earth’s climate system. They affect the temperature and energy balance of the Earth and play a significant role in controlling the planet’s long-term climate.

By observing clouds, we can get information about temperature, moisture, and wind conditions at different heights in the atmosphere. This information helps in predicting the weather. Observations of clouds also help us know how much sunlight reaches the ground and how easily heat from the ground and lower atmosphere can escape to space. Clouds play a central role in controlling the exchange of heat in the atmosphere, and changes in clouds over time can have significant climate impacts.